Muslim Women’s Group Slams Hanson’s Burqa Stunt as Harmful Political Theatre
Hajeh Maha Krayem Abdo, chief executive of Muslim Women Australia, said Hanson's repeated use of the burqa as a political tool does not reflect the experiences or values of Australian women.
She said that “as an elder Muslim woman, and on behalf of Muslim Women Australia, Senator Hanson’s repeated attempts to ridicule our attire do not reflect the Australia we live in, nor the values Australian women uphold,” The Senior reported on Thursday.
Hanson, who leads the One Nation party, was barred from the Senate during the final sitting week after arriving in the chamber wearing a burqa.
The appearance came shortly after she was unable to advance a bill seeking to prohibit the wearing of the garment in public spaces. The upper house later formally censured her and extended her ban for seven more sitting days after she declined to apologise.
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Speaking at a press conference after her suspension, Hanson said she intended to maintain her position, stating that “I stand my ground and what I believe in, I will continue to do so.”
The senator carried out a similar act in 2017, when she wore a burqa into the Senate. At the time, then-Attorney-General George Brandis sharply criticised the move, describing it as “appalling.”
Krayem Abdo said the latest stunt was neither new nor constructive. She said it repeated a familiar pattern in which Muslim women are targeted by political gestures that disregard their lived experiences.
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She also said that “to reduce our identities to props or political theatre is not only disrespectful, but feeds the very attitudes that enable discrimination, harassment, and gendered violence.”
She noted that Muslim women choose to wear the hijab or burqa for cultural, spiritual and personal reasons. She said they participate across Australia’s social, civic, economic and cultural spheres with resilience and commitment.
She added that the priorities of Muslim women center on family wellbeing, children’s safety and an inclusive national future, rather than political theatrics.
Source: Agencies
